Watching a loved one struggling with addiction takes an emotional, physical, and financial toll. More than anything, you want your loved one to return to the person they were before they became addicted to drugs or alcohol. You also want them to be mentally and physically well. The best way to help them is to stage an intervention. At Rise Above Treatment, our team is available to provide structured intervention services that will support your loved ones as they enter treatment. Reach out to an addiction specialist to learn more about staging an intervention by calling (877) 641-0717.
Steps For Staging an Intervention
If you believe that staging an intervention to support a struggling friend or family member with their addiction is necessary, here are the essential steps that will guide your process.
Seek Professional Help
Staging an intervention requires a team. Yes, family and friends are important to the process. However, you also need a professional who specializes in interventions to support this process. A social worker, therapist, or physician would provide the insight necessary to make it successful.
Establish an Intervention Team
Close friends and family members, along with the professional interventionist, should be part of your team. Anyone suffering from their own active substance use disorder challenges should not be a member of the team.
Develop a Plan
What day will the intervention take place? Time? Where? Also, consider who is coming. You should develop an outline of how you envision the intervention that includes everyone’s role.
Identify Resources
If you want your intervention to be purposeful, you have to provide resources that will be helpful. You also need to have a strong understanding of addiction and recovery. Be ready to share information about detox and rehabilitation programs. When choosing which resources to share, consider the person’s personality and individual needs.
Write Personal Statements
A person addicted to drugs or alcohol has severely damaged themselves. And in the process, they have also hurt many other people. Everyone participating in the intervention should have a strong relationship with the person struggling with addiction. Personal impact statements should share how the addiction has damaged the person they love and care about so much. They can also share how friends and family have been hurt as a result of substance abuse. Your statements should be honest yet loving. The purpose is not to place blame but to help the person see how their addiction is harmful.
Provide Help
If you are attending the intervention, you should be able to support your friend or family member while they are enrolled in a treatment program. You should also understand that recovery is a long road–it might not be successful the first time, but having the ability to try again is most powerful. Consider how you can support the person–can you drive them to outpatient treatment appointments? Are you willing to attend family therapy sessions? Can you support their need to attend group meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA)?
Be Prepared to Set Boundaries
Your intention for staging the intervention is to get someone to commit to rehabilitation. However, you should be prepared for your loved one to choose not to attend treatment. If this happens, you need to set clear boundaries. For a person struggling with addiction to seek change, the important people in their life cannot participate in codependency or enable their behavior. Examples of boundaries include:
- Living your own life
- Not always being available
- Speaking up when you need to
Setting boundaries can be challenging if you are used to operating without them. While your loved one might be upset at first, having boundaries is healthier for all parties involved.
Get Early Intervention Support With Rise Above Treatment
If you have a loved one abusing drugs or alcohol, do not wait too long to help them. Early intervention practices will help your friend or family member start the treatment and recovery process easier than if they sink lower into their addiction. Our team of dedicated mental health and medical practitioners will support your planned intervention. If you’re ready to stage an intervention and need support, call us at (877) 641-0717, and let’s get started in this process.
